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4.09.2014

Living (or Biking!) With a Destination in Mind

The trees are sprouting bright green leaves and even our dilapidated backyard was recently pruned by yours truly and her family for spring. The blues are so blue, and the greens are so green.

~﻿

I have a confession.

Until I was eleven, I'd never really ridden on a bicycle.

A million laps around the neighborhood, one crash into a pole, and one trip to the emergency room later (to confirm I hadn't broken my arm), I can ride with ease...to the park, to the library, wherever!

I love biking. It's the main way I get exercise. My first "real" bike still gets me where I need to go.

The main thing I have learned (other than to slow down when I am rounding corners, to avoid crashing into poles) is to have a destination.

I used to bike on Saturdays only, exactly four laps around the neighborhood, approximately one mile.

But I quickly got bored with the mundane routine with no scenery other than another house.

My only destination was Planet-I-Got-That-Bike-Ride-Over-With.

But now that we've moved within a mile of the park, we bike there, motivated by getting to see ducks and climbing all over the kid's section with slides, swings, and what my brother calls the Spiderman poles.

We've biked to the library, motivated by setting down a heavy pack of books and reading in peace and quiet.

I've even biked 25 minutes to a friend's house and 25 minutes back a few times, motivated by a huge hug and cool glass of water that I know I will instantly receive.

When I have a destination, I am less likely to try to turn around. Once I pass the halfway point, I usually say to myself:

"Well, this is it. No turning back. Might as well go forward now."

And then I reach my goal-- two stoplights, one ditch, and many panting breaths later.

No iPod. No special gear except a helmet. No motivation except my goal.

This is why I set tiny daily goals with rewards. After school, I get to have dinner with my family. After this babysitting job, I get to go collapse in my own bed. After I make dinner, I can listen to my family ooh and aah. After I finish this blog post, I can eat breakfast and start school with an accomplishment already under my belt. :)

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:14

What is your goal? Your destination? Your motivation in life (or biking!)?

Thank you for reading! Also, thank you for making my day brighter with your encouraging words. I cherish each and every comment. If you check back in a day or two, I should have responded to your note. Thanks for dropping me a line!